Domestic appliance pump



March 29, 1966 R. L. MERCER DOMESTIC APPLIANCE PUMP INVENTOR. ROBERT L. MERCER 2 Sheets-Sheet 1- HIS ATTORNEY Filed Oct. 13, 1964 March 29, 1966 R. L. MERCER 3,242,871

DOMESTIC APPLIANCE PUMP Filed Oct. 15, 1964 2 Sheets-522a 2 459 2 M 3% 7w; 20 I I2 44 m1, m0 '2 I W48 %F f0 l 1 0 l I 4 \9/6 INVENTOR. ROBERT L. MERCER HIS ATTORNEY United States Patent 3,242,871 DOMESTIC APPLIANCE PUMP Robert L. Mercer, Dayton, Ohio, assignor to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich., a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 13, 1964, Ser. No. 403,574 8 Claims. (Cl. 103-218) This invention relates to a dishwasher and more particularly to an improved mounting arrangement for attaching a pump and motor assembly to a dishwasher tub. In the manufacture of domestic appliances it is desirable to utilize simple procedures for assembling the component parts. The attachment of a pump or motor to a dishwasher must be reliable and easily effected to assure a long, trouble-free life for the appliance. In addition to these general concepts, the operation of a dishwasher should be comparatively quiet and relatively vibration-free. These aims require a connecting arrangement between the moving and stationary parts of the dishwasher which is sturdy and yet capable of absorbing operational vibrations.

Accordingly, it is a general object of this invention to provide an improved mounting arrangement for a pump and motor assembly to the outlet of a fluid distribution chamber.

It is a more specific object to provide an improved resilient connection between a dishwasher and its pump and motor assembly.

A more specific object of the invention is the provision of a plurality of shock absorbing blocks supportingly interconnecting the pump and motor assembly with the dishwasher tub.

It is afu-rther object to provide a mounting arrangement whereby the pump and motor assembly is quickly atta'chedto and supported in the drain outlet opening of dish-washertub.

more specificobject of this invention is the provision of an improved arrangement for mounting a pump and motor assembly tofa dishwasher sump which permits said assembly to be installed from above said sump.

4 Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

, In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is afront elevational view with parts broken-away, showing the pump and motor assembly supported in a dishwasher sump;

FIGURE 2 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 2 -2 in FIGURE 1, partly in elevation and with parts 'broken away to show the improved mounting arrangement of this invention;

FIGURE 3 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line3g-3 in FIGURE 2;.

' I FIGURE 4 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 44in FIGURE 2;

'FIGURE 5 is a fragmentary sectional view taken along line 5-5 in FIGURE 4; and v FIGURE'6 is a fragmentary exploded perspective view of the pump and motor assembly mounting arrangement. In accordance with this invention, and with reference to FIGURE l, a dishwasher having a front loading access door 12 and a tub sump or sunken bottom portion 1'4is provided with a vertically arranged pump and motor assembly 16 of the type taught in the copending application Ser. No. 341,209, filed Jan. 30, 1964 and assigned to the same assignee as this invention. The pump and motor assembly 16 is disposed relative to the internal plumbing of the dishwasher to connect with a drain line "ice 18 having a high loop for preventing the gravity draining of water from the dishwasher sump. The sump 14 has a recessed sump outlet portion 20 including an annular shoulder 22 defining an opening 24 for receiving the pump and motor assembly 16.

The pump and motor assembly 16 is comprised of a motor 26 and a pump 28 supported on and connected to the motor 26 by columns or legs 30. Long screws (not shown) extend through the motor 26 from the bottom thereof into the legs 30 for fastening the pump and motor into assembled relation-ship. In general the pump 28 has an upstanding annular collar 32 defining the pump inlet or water collecting basin 34. Extending generally radially outwardly from the pump Wall 32 are three connector tabs 36, 38 and 39. These tabs serve as the connecting link for joining the pump and motor assembly to the improved mounting arrangement of this invention.

In general and with reference to FIGURE 4 the mounting arrangement is comprised of a sealing means or seal 40 for preventing the egress of water from the sump through the opening 24 and a shock absorbing support means 41 cooperating with the seal 40 in the water sealing function thereof and with the connector tabs 36, 38 and 39 for resiliently and sound absorbingly supporting the pump and motor assembly 16.

The sealing means 40 is comprised of an annular substantially closed rubber tube-like seal 42 generally 'rectangular in cross section and having a radially inner side 44 circumscribing the pump collar 32 and sealingly fastened thereto by a circumscribing band 46 including an adjustable tightening bolt 48 for snugly sealingly attaching the inner wall 44 of the seal to the pump collar 32. A radially outer side wall 50 of the annular seal includes a plurality of peripherally arranged annular ribs 52 which sealingly engage the annular wall 20 of the sump outlet to prevent egress of water along this jointure. The radially inner and outer side walls 44 and 50 of the seal are joined by a top wall 56 facing into the dishwasher sump and including six holes 58 defined by integral depending sleeve portions 60 through which fastening means such as a screw 62 may extend in connecting the mounting arrangement to the shoulder 22 of the sump outlet (FIG- URE 3). The fastening means 62, in orderto form a more perfect seal with the shouldered wall 22 of the sump, extends through a hole 64 formed ina bottom wall 66 of the tube-like seal 42, said bottom wall 66 being shock absorbing support means 41, now to be described more fully. v

The die cast aluminum ring 72 (FIGURE 6) includes three depending U-shaped brackets 76, 78 and 80 having base portion-s such as 82 suspended from the ring 72 by integral side legs such as 84 and 86 which extend through cutouts such as 88, 90 in the bottom Wall 66 of the seal 42 and through notches such as 91 in the shoulder 22 of the sump outlet. Within each bracket 76, 78 and St) and at the top thereof there is a depending lug such as 94 which cooperates with a ported flap 96 which locks thereover for retaining the seal 42 in enveloping relationship to the ring 72. Note that a continuous peripheral rib 100 on the bottom of the ring 72 engages the bottom wall 66 of the seal 42 at a point where the seal bottom wall lies in juxtaposition to the shoulder wall 22 of the sump outlet. Thus the weight of the sump and motor assembly acting through the rib 100 of the ring 72 provides an additional seal means at this point.

With the shock absorbing support means 41 in assembled relationship the base portion such as 82 of each bracket such as 76 underlies a respective connector tab such as 36 and has sandwiched therebetween a shock absorbing mounting means 104 fastened as by a screw 106 to the connector tab 36 and by a screw 108 to the base portion 82 of the bracket. The shock absorbing means 104 may be a block of. rubber having opposed faces of sheet metal bonded thereto. Thus the weight of the pump and motor assembly 16 is carried on the resilient block 104 with this weight being transmitted to the shoulder 22 of the sump outlet by means of the brackets 76, 78 and 80, the ring 72 including the rib 100 and the bottom wall 66 of the seal 42. The vibration of the motor and pump is thus isolated from the stationary components of the dishwasher sump by the vibration absorbing characteristics of the shock absorbing mounting blocks 104 and the resilient characteristics of the bottom wall of the seal 42.

The assembly of the mounting components to the pump and motor assembly as well as the assembly of the pump and motor assembly to the dishwasher will now be described. First, the shock absorbing mounting blocks such as 104 are fastened to their respective connector tab 36 by the fastening means such as 106. Then the annular seal 42 is fitted around the collar 32 of the pump inlet, positioned on a ledge 111 and snugly and sealingly fastened to the collar by tightening the band 46 with the adjusting screw 48. Next the ring 72 is fitted over the bottom of the motor 26 and lifted into place until the base portions such as 82 of the brackets such as 76 engage the bottom of their respective shock absorbing mounting blocks such as 104. Screws such as 108 are then used to secure the ring to the connector tabs of the pump and motor assembly through the shock absorbing blocks. The radially outer side wall 50 of the seal is worked around the outside of the ring 72 and with the bottom wall of the seal underlying the ring and the integral ring rib 100the flap 96 being worked into a position where the lug 94 snaps into the flap port 97 to lock the seal in enveloping relationship with the ring 72. At this point the mounting components are assembled to the pump and motor assembly and ready for mounting the entire structure within the sump of the dishwasher.

The mounting arrangement of this invention envisions a mounting from the top of the sump rather than from below. Thus the pump and motor assembly with its mounting components is lowered through the opening 24 in the sump outlet (the brackets 76, 78 and 80 aligning with their respective sump outlet notches, such as 91) until the bottom wall of the seal 42 comes to rest on the shoulder 22 of the sump outlet. Screws such as 62 are inserted through the openings such as 58 in the top of the seal and threaded into the shoulder 22 of the sump outlet to lock the pump and motor assembly to the sump outlet. It should be noted that, in normal dishwashiug operations, the screws 62 could be dispensed with and the holes 58 eliminated, since gravity would retain the sump and motor assembly in operating relationship with the dishwasher sump. However, various manufacturing and shipping operations require that the pump and motor assembly be attached to the sump outlet.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitute a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. In an arrangement for mounting a motor and pump assembly to a washer sump having a shouldered sump outlet, the combination comprising:

(a) housing means having a pump inlet defined by an upstanding annular collar surrounding said inlet, and three connector tabs extending generally radially from spaced points around said annular collar and adapted for connecting said motor and pump assembly to said washer sump,

.(b) means for sealing between said sump outlet and said housing means including an annular substantial- 1y closed rubber tube-like seal generally rectangular in cross section and having a radially inner side sealingly fastened to said annular collar of said housing means, a radially outer side sealingly engaged with said sump outlet, a top side joining said inner and outer sides and a bottom side extending part way from said outer side toward said inner side adjacent the shoulder of said sump outlet,

(c) and means for supporting said housing means including an annular pump seal retaining ring having a ring portion inside said tube-like seal and including a peripheral, downwardly extending continuous rib engaging the bottom side of said tube-like seal where said bottom side is adjacent the shoulder of said sump outlet, said ring portion having three U-shaped brackets depending therefrom through notches in said bottom side and coincidental respectively with said connector tabs, each of said brackets including a base portion underlying its respective connector tab, and a resilient shock absorbing rubber block in sandwiched relation between each coincidental pair of said base portions and said connector tabs whereby the weight of said motor and pump assembly is resiliently carried by said shouldered pump outlet through said bottom side of said tube-like seal, said pump retaining ring, said brackets and said rubber blocks.

2. In an arrangement for mounting a motor and pump assembly to a washer sump having a shouldered sump outlet, the combination comprising:

(a) housing rneans having wall means and connector tab means extending generally outwardly therefrom and adapted for connecting said motor and pump assembly to said washer sump,

(b) means for sealing between said sump outlet and said housing means including a substantially closed tube-like seal having an inner side sealingly engaged with said wall means of said housing means, an. outer side sealingly engaged with said sump outlet, a top side joining said inner and outer sides and a bottom side extending part way between said outer side and said inner side adjacent the shoulder of saidsump outlet,

(0) and means for supporting said housing means including a pump seal retaining means having a support portion inside said tube-like seal and including a substantially continuous rib engaging the bottom side of said tube-like seal where said bottom side is adjacent the shoulder of said sump outlet, said support portion having bracket means depending therefrom and including means underlying said connector tab means, and a resilient shock absorbing means in sandwiched relation between said connector tab means and said underlying means whereby the weight of said motor and pump assembly is resiliently carried by said shoulder sump 'outlet through said bottom side of said tube-like seal, said pump seal retaining means, said bracket means and said resilient shock absorbing means.

3. In an arrangement for mounting a motor and pump assembly to a washer sump having a shouldered sump outlet, the combination comprising:

(a) housing means having wall means and connector tab means extending generally outwardly therefrom and adapted for connecting said motor and pump assembly to said washer sump,

(b) means for sealing between said sump outlet and said housing means including a substantially closed tube-like seal having a first side sealingly engaged with said wall means of said housing means, a second side sealingly engaged with said sump outlet, at third side joining said first and second sides and a fourth side extending part way between said second side and said first side adjacent the shoulder of said sump outlet,

(c) and means for supporting said housing means including a pump seal retaining means having a support portion inside said tube-like seal and including a substantially continuous rib engaging the fourth side of said tube-like seal where said fourth side is adjacent the shoulder of said sump outlet, said support portion having bracket means depending therefrom and including means in vertical spaced relationship to said connector tab means, and a resilient shock absorbing means in sandwiched relation between said connector tab means and said vertically spaced means whereby the weight of said motor and pump assembly is resiliently carried by said shouldered sump outlet through said fourth side of said tube-like seal, said pump seal retaining means, said bracket means and said resilient shock absorbing means.

4. The mounting arrangement of claim 3 wherein said second side of said sealing means includes rib means sealingly engaged with said sump outlet.

5. The mounting arrangement of claim 3 wherein said fourth side of said sealing means includes a lock flap portion having a port and wherein said pump seal retaining means includes a lug interfitting with the port in said flap portion.

6. The mounting arrangement of claim 3 wherein said resilient shock absorbing means is a block of rubber.

7. The mounting arrangement of claim 3 wherein said fourth side of said sealing means overlies said shouldered sump outlet, said sump outlet being larger than the pump and motor portions of said pump and motor assembly to facilitate the lowering of said assembly through said sump outlet but being smaller than the support portion of said pump seal retaining means for retaining and supporting said assembly in said washer sump.

8. In an arrangement for mounting a pump assembly to a sump having a shouldered sump outlet, the combination comprising:

(a) housing means having a pump inlet defined by an upstanding annular collar surrounding said inlet, and a connector tab extending generally radially from said annular collar and adapted for connecting said pump assembly to said sump,

(b) means for sealing between said sump outlet and said housing means including an annular substantially closed tube-like seal generally rectangular in cross section and having a radially inner side sealingly fastened to said annular collar of said housing means, a radially outer side sealingly engaged with said sump outlet, a top side joining said inner and outer sides and a bottom side extending part Way from said outer side toward said inner side adjacent the shoulder of said sump outlet,

(c) and means for supporting said housing means in cluding an annular pump seal retaining ring having a ring portion inside said tube-like seal and including a peripheral, downwardly extending continuous rib engaging the bottom side of said tube-like seal where said bottom side is adjacent the shoulder of said sump out-let, said ring portion having a bracket depending therefrom through a notch in said bottom side and coincidental with said connector tab, said bracket including a base portion underlying said connector tab, and a resilient shock absorbing block in sandwiched relation between said base portion and said connector tab whereby the Weight of said pump assembly is resiliently carried by said shouldered pump outlet through said bottom side of said tubelike seal, said pump seal retaining ring, said bracket and said block.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 2,819,680 1/1958 Snyder 103218 2,905,092 9/1959 Abresch 103218 X 3,026,815 3/1962 Jacobs 103-218 ROBERT M. WALKER, Primary Examiner. 

1. IN AN ARRANGEMENT FOR MOUNTING A MOTOR AND PUMP ASSEMBLY TO A WASHER SUMP HAVING A SHOULDERED SUMP OUTLET, THE COMBINATION COMPRISING: (A) HOUSING MEANS HAVING A PUMP INLET DEFINED BY AN UPSTANDING ANNULAR COLLAR SURROUNDING SAID INLET, AND THREE CONNECTOR TABS EXTENDING GENERALLY RADIALLY FROM SPACED POINTS AROUND SAID ANNULAR COLLAR AND ADAPTED FOR CONNECTING SAID MOTOR AND PUMP ASSEMBLY TO SAID WASHER SUMP, (B) MEANS FOR SEALING BETWEEN SAID SUMP OUTLET AND SAID HOUSING MEANS INCLUDING AN ANNULAR SUBSTANTIALLY CLOSED RUBBER TUBE-LIKE SEAL GENERALLY RECTANGULAR IN CROSS SECTION AND HAVING A RADIALLY INNER SIDE SEALINGLY FASTENED TO SAID ANNULAR COLL OF SAID HOUSING MEANS, A RADIALLY OUTER SIDE SEALINGLY ENGAGED WITH SAID SUMP OUTLET, A TOP SIDE JOINING SAID INNER AND OUTER SIDES AND A BOTTOM SIDE EXTENDING PART WAY FROM SAID OUTER SIDE TOWARD SAID INNER SIDE ADJACENT THE SHOULDER OF SAID SUMP OUTLET, (C) AND MEANS FOR SUPPORTING SAID HOUSING MEANS INCLUDING AN ANNULAR PUMP SEAL RETAINING RING HAVING A RING PORTION INSIDE SAID TUBE-LIKE SEAL AND INCLUDING A PERIPHERAL, DOWNWARDLY EXTENDING CONTINUOUS RIB ENGAGING THE BOTTOM SIDE OF SAID TUBE-LIKE SEAL WHERE SAID BOTTOM SIDE IS ADJACENT THE SHOULDER OF SAID SUMP OUTLET, SAID RING PORTION HAVING THREE U-SHAPED BRACKETS DEPENDING THEREFROM THROUGH NOTCHES IN SAID BOTTOM SIDE AND COINCIDENTAL RESPECTIVELY WITH SAID CONNECTOR TABS, EACH OF SAID BRACKETS INCLUDING A BASE PORTION UNDERLYING ITS RESPECTIVE CONNECTOR TAB, AND A RESILIENT SHOCK ABSORBING RUBBER BLOCK IN SANDWICHED RELATION BETWEEN EACH COINCIDENTAL PAIR OF SAID BASE PORTIONS AND SAID CONNECTOR TABS WHEREBY THE WEIGHT OF SAID MOTOR AND PUMP ASSEMBLY IS RESILIENTLY CARRIED BY SAID SHOULDERED PUMP OUTLET THROUGH SAID BOTTOM SIDE OF SAID TUBE-LIKE SEAL, SAID PUMP RETAINING RING, SAID BRACKETS AND SAID RUBBER BLOCKS. 